DOOM Open Beta is here

DOOM Open Beta is here

DOOM – Player Progression and Customization

Are you classy or flashy? Subtle or over-the-top? Whatever your style, DOOM’s in-depth player customization will let you express yourself when you step into the multiplayer arena on May 13. As you level up, you’ll unlock tons of gear, paint colors for your armor and weapons, and much more. You can get a taste for some of the customization options in the video below.

Some of you may have experienced the multiplayer yourself in our recent closed beta, or maybe you caught some video that came out of the event. Many more of you are about to jump into this weekend’s open beta. While this will give you a small taste of the myriad of customization options, here’s the full rundown for those seeking more info on how you’ll progress through DOOM’s multiplayer – from a level-one newbie to an Echelon-ranked badass.

Progression

You don’t have to be the best DOOM player to rise through the ranks. In fact, you might not always be on the winning team, and that’s OK. Half of your experience just comes from showing up and making an effort. The other half comes from kills you rack up, where you place on your team, whether your team wins or loses, any challenges you might complete, and commendations like MVP or Most Demon Kills that you may receive. In short, the more you play, the more armor, weapons, equipment and hack modules you’ll unlock. You’ll also receive epic customization options for all your gear, so you can look cool while you obliterate your opponents.

Once you hit level 50, you’ll receive your first Echelon. Your level then resets to 1 and you become Echelon 1, Level 1. But even though your level resets to 1, you won’t lose all that gear you’ve unlocked. Everything you earn stays with you. (Each time you gain an Echelon rank, you’ll unlock a special insignia denoting your Echelon rank so other players will know what they’re up against.) With 10 Echelon ranks and 50 levels per Echelon… well, that’s a lot of levels and a lot of sweet customization options to unlock as you work your way through them.

Armor and Weapons

With nearly 300 pieces of armor falling into five distinct themes, over 90 primary and secondary paint colors and over 50 paint patterns to choose from, you can be sure your DOOM marine will be killing in style. Deck him out in one of five base armor suits (UAC, Demonic, Bounty Hunter, Templar and Utilitarian), and pick and choose the pieces you want for his helmet, legs, torso, right arm and left arm. If you want a Jaguar torso piece with Scalar legs, an Ocelot left arm and a Wildcat right arm, you can do that. As long as you’ve unlocked the piece, you can customize your marine however you see fit.

After you’ve picked out your armor, you’ll be able to throw a coat (or two or three) of paint on that bad boy. You can select your primary and secondary colors, the pattern on your armor, and the color of the lights on your suit. You can also choose whether you want matte, glossy or metallic paint, and just how intense you want the colors to be. When you’ve got your colors selected, give your marine a more battle-hardened look by adding dirt and scratches to the armor. Keep it shiny and pristine or make it look like you’ve truly been through Hell. If you really want to see some crazy combinations, you can randomize all aspects of your armor’s customization using all of your unlocked armor pieces and paintjobs for some really crazy designs.

Customizing your weapons works much in the way armor customization does. You’ll have 96 colors to work with, plus 60 patterns, and like with your armor, you can adjust the weathering of your weapon to give it extra character. Each weapon is broken down into two zones and highlight areas, allowing you to get even crazier with your color combos. Both zones can be independently customized with either a solid color or a pattern and two colors. The weapon’s highlights can then be decked out in a different solid color choice.

All this ensures that when your DOOM marine steps onto the battlefield, no one will look quite like you.

Hack Modules

Everyone needs a little boost now and then, and that’s where Hack Modules come in. Hack Modules are consumable power-ups designed to give you a small, but meaningful, edge in multiplayer. Whether that edge is a display of your opponents’ health, or a quick jolt to your speed, Hack Modules are another way for you to customize and augment your experience. You don’t have to pay for these; you’ll get two Hack Modules just for successfully completing a match.

Each Hack Module has three tiers, with rarer higher-tier modules lasting longer or providing greater boosts than more common lower-tier modules. Hack Modules aren’t specific to an individual loadout. You can equip them in the lobby prior to starting a match. Select up to four, and if you find yourself gravitating toward a specific module, you can equip multiple copies of it. Only one Hack Module can be active at any given time, and must be triggered in the death-screen. The Hack Module timer will not begin until you respawn and active modules can be canceled by selecting a different one or the Noneoption in the death-screen.

Some of the Hack Modules you will unlock include:

• Supply Timer – Visually display the remaining time before nearby pickups and power-ups will respawn
• Alarm – An audio cue plays when an enemy is nearby, warning the player
• Blood Trail – Reveals the location of enemies that the player recently wounded
• Infinite Ammo – Temporarily grants infinite ammo for both of your loadout weapons
• Power Seeker – Displays spawned/dropped power-ups and power weapons through walls

That’s just a small handful of the Hack Modules you’ll unlock. There will be plenty more for you to experiment with at launch.

Equipment

In addition to your Hack Modules, you can also equip one of seven different special items per loadout. These range from your standard Frag Grenade to the new Siphon Grenade, which explodes on impact and creates a large sphere that drains enemy health and armor. All drained health and armor is then transferred to the player who deployed the grenade. The Siphon Grenade runs on a timer, and will remain active until its time runs out or it’s destroyed by enemy players.

Not every piece of equipment is designed to kill. You can also equip non-lethal items that provide tactical support. Take the Shield Wall, for example. The Shield Wall creates a large protective barrier that blocks fire coming from both directions, as well as enemy players. The Shield Wall can stop up most doorways, and it’s tall enough that players can’t single-jump over it.

Equipment has a recharge time that starts as soon as an item is thrown or deployed, but dying will automatically reset your item, allowing you to use your item at least once per life.

Taunts

Everyone likes to show off a little. (Or a lot if you’re feeling particularly cocky.) With over 125 unique and showy taunts, you can show off in style. Load up your DOOM Marine with four taunts at a time and use them whenever you want. Whether you’re standing on a pedestal at the end of a match posing like Superman, or dancing on the corpses of your fallen foes, you’ll be able to express yourself while you rub your sweet victory in your opponents’ faces. Of course, you might want to be careful about when and where you choose to “Make it Rain” or dust the “Dirt off Your Shoulder.” You’re completely vulnerable to attacks while you’re taunting, and someone might just take offense to your celebration and take you out. And that would be embarrassing.

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil¹s Daughter - new video

 Sherlock Holmes: The Devil¹s Daughter - new video

First gameplay trailer unveiled!

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter - new video and new release date announced

Sydney, Australia - April 15^th, 2016 – Bigben Interactive, the video game publisher and distributor, and the studio Frogwares are today pleased to reveal the first gameplay trailer for Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter. The game will be available June 10^th on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC.

In this new video, the adventure is just beginning for the celebrated detective! Beset by doubt and fear, he must act quickly to escape his darkest demons. Will his nerve be up to the task?

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter will be released June 10^th on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC.

Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter is a unique adventure game that blends exploration, investigation and action for a breath-taking and fantastic playing experience.

What led young Katelyn to 221B Baker Street? Could she have discovered the dark truth about her family? And who is the charming clairvoyant who has moved in to 221C? Is there room for séances and occult rituals in the bastion of logic and rationalism?

For the first time in his prestigious career, the most illustrious of detectives must fight not to reveal a secret, but to keep one…

In Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter, you play as the master detective himself, plunged against his will into a fantastic adventure brimming with intense action sequences for an interactive experience that is more immersive than ever. The mysteries follow one after another, the clues pile up, trails intersect, the hypotheses contradict… Will you be able to guide Sherlock Holmes to the incredible final revelation?

The End Of The Tour: DVD Review

The End Of The Tour: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Sony Home Ent

Prosaic and elegaic, The End Of The Tour centres on the five day conversation between Rolling Stone journalist David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) and writer David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) back in 1996.

In light of the publication of Wallace's ground-breaking novel Infinite Jest, Lipsky joined Wallace on the last few days of his book tour and got to know the man.

To say little happens in The End Of The Tour is perhaps an understatement, but this essentially extended conversation weaves in some home truths about life itself and Wallace, as well as opening up the writer to those who may not have known his work.

Eisenberg is solid and irritable as Lipsky, a fellow writer and fan of Wallace who's clearly under his thrall before meeting him but whose interest in his subject is tested and who puts him to the test by the five day trip; there's an occasional hint of tension as Lipsky's Rolling Stone boss hounds him to get to the bottom of some rumours, but other than that, it's about the ebbs and flows of conversation, even if Eisenberg makes you forget he's a journo trying to get a headline.

However, it's a softer Segel who's more impressive as Wallace - capturing not only his physical essence with the bandanna and wire rim glasses, but by giving a sensitively drawn portrait of a man clearly troubled by his life and the realisation of his place in it. Moments when Wallace reveals how he'll feel at the end of the tour are devastating, hinting at his fragility before segueing to shots of him dancing in utter released bliss. There are occasional bouts of insecurity and prickliness from Wallace but Segel makes these moments the emotional bombshells they need to be thanks to a subtle performance that roots itself in the man and his words, rather than the mythos and the perception.

Essentially this road movie boils down to just one thing - it's a portrait of a man and it's excellently portrayed in this two-hander.

Director James Ponsoldt, who did the wonderful The Spectacular Now, gets to the heart of this sensitive esoteric piece and zeroes in on the words of the script, rather than the actions. As a result, more is literally said but even more is hinted at and thanks to Segel's stunning turn, Wallace is brought vividly to life.

The End Of The Tour feels like a quieter piece, but it's more moving and elegaic than anything I've seen in recent weeks - the vein of Wallace's inherent sadness is blown open at the end of the film, and you can't help but feel Lipsky's tears as if they were your own as he eulogizes his friend at the end. 

Ghost in the Shell first look

Ghost in the Shell first look

There's a first look at Scarlett Johansson in Ghost In The Shell this morning.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND DREAMWORKS PICTURES’ “GHOST IN THE SHELL”

IS IN PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND

HOLLYWOOD, CA (April 14, 2016) – Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures have announced that production is underway on “GHOST IN THE SHELL,” starring Scarlett Johansson (“AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON,” “LUCY”) and directed by Rupert Sanders (“SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN”). The film is shooting in Wellington, New Zealand. 

Paramount Pictures will release the film in the U.S. on March 31, 2017.

The film, which is based on the famous Kodansha Comics manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, is produced by Avi Arad (“THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1 & 2,” “IRON MAN”), Ari Arad (“GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE”), and Steven Paul (“GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE”). Michael Costigan (“PROMETHEUS”) Tetsu Fujimura (“TEKKEN”), Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, whose animation studio Production I.G produced the Japanese "GHOST IN THE SHELL” film and television series, and Jeffrey Silver (“EDGE OF TOMORROW,” “300”) will executive produce.

Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, “GHOST IN THE SHELL” follows the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology.

“We are so pleased to be in Wellington to shoot ‘GHOST IN THE SHELL,’” said producers Avi Arad, Ari Arad, Michael Costigan and Jeffrey Silver. “The city boasts state-of-the-art production facilities and a rich urban landscape that make it an ideal setting for a sci-fi action film. The crew-base in New Zealand working on the film is first class, and working with Sir Richard Taylor and the team at Weta Workshop is inspirational on every level. The people of New Zealand have been terrific partners in helping us bring this story and its beloved characters to audiences around the world and we are thankful for their continued hospitality.”

Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures have entered into a marketing agreement with the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), Tourism New Zealand (TNZ), Callaghan Innovation and the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) which recognizes the significant economic, cultural and industry development benefits the production will bring to New Zealand.  The collaboration will further promote New Zealand’s growing screen industry, develop local talent and showcase New Zealand to the rest of the world.

“The production will broaden the perceptions of the diversity of New Zealand’s locations by showcasing a science fiction urban setting in New Zealand,” says Dave Gibson NZFC Chief Executive.

Tourism New Zealand’s Chief Executive Kevin Bowler said: “Tourism New Zealand is thrilled to be working with Paramount Pictures for the first time on ‘GHOST IN THE SHELL.’ Film tourism is an important element in Tourism New Zealand’s work to inspire people to visit New Zealand and we look forward to this new opportunity to showcase New Zealand to the rest of the world.”

The cast of “GHOST IN THE SHELL” includes Beat Takeshi Kitano (“MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE,” “BATTLE ROYALE” series) as Daisuke Aramaki, Juliette Binoche (“THE ENGLISH PATIENT,” “CHOCOLAT”) as Dr. Ouelet, Michael Pitt (“Hannibal,” “Boardwalk Empire”) as Kuze, Pilou Asbæk (“BEN-HUR,” “LUCY”) as Batou, and Kaori Momoi (“MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA,” “HONG KONG CONFIDENTIAL”). The members of Section 9 are played by Chin Han (“INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE”), Danusia Samal (“Tyrant”), Lasarus Ratuere (“Terra Nova”), Yutaka Izumihara (“UNBROKEN”) and Tuwanda Manyimo (“THE ROVER”).

The film’s crew includes Cinematographer Jess Hall (“THE SPECTACULAR NOW”), Editor Neil Smith (“SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN”), Production Designer Jan Roelfs (“FAST & FURIOUS 6”), and Costume Designers Kurt Swanson and Bart Mueller (“THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PARTS 1& 2”).

New trailer for Star Ocean: Integrity

New trailer for Star Ocean: Integrity

NEW TRAILER FOR STAR OCEAN: INTEGRITY AND FAITHLESSNESS SHOWCASES BATTLE SYSTEM

Character Spotlights Also Revealed for Fiore and Victor

SYDNEY (14^th April 2016) –  Ahead of the launch of STAR OCEAN®: INTEGRITY AND FAITHLESSNESS™ on the 1^st July, Square Enix Ltd., today released a brand new trailer for the title which showcases the game’s battle system and characters in more depth. The trailer gives fans a further glimpse at STAR OCEAN: Integrity and Faithlessness’ seamless real-time combat and transitions from fighting to exploring.

In STAR OCEAN: Integrity and Faithlessness, controlling up to six characters in battle, players must strategise with battle roles and skills to keep the edge in combat. 

Tickled: Film Review

Tickled: Film Review

Directors: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve

The hook of Tickled is that it sets out to discover more about the slightly weird subject of fetish sport Competitive Tickling.

The fact that it becomes something else and moves into darker territory is a testament to directors Dylan Reeve and David Farrier, who find themselves caught up in something infinitely more sinister than they could ever have imagined.

And the peril of a review of Tickled is that to reveal much of the plot and intricate details of within is to rob it of the singular experience which it provides and spoil the twists and turns which inhabit the journey on to its ultimate destination.

Suffice to say this - NZ journalist David Farrier, who, archive footage initially shows, has carved himself a career out of the weirder and more colourful characters and subject matter within our worlds, finds himself intrigued when stumbling across a story about people being tickled on camera.

With his curiosity piqued, David dropped the organisation behind the bizarre tickling videos a message - only to have personal abuse and hostility thrown his way. Whereas most people would have run a mile at this point, Farrier, along with his self-appointed "geeky friend" Dylan Reeve started to look more into the world.

But as they dug deeper, legal threats began to head their way....

The almost conspiracy-like doco Tickled is a masterful piece of work, and one that rises above its initially intriguing material to become something totally unexpected that sheds uncomfortable light on the human condition and avoids exploiting its subjects for easy wins and lazy grins.

With some dazzling B-roll and cutaway shots (DP Dom Fryer is really the unsung hero of this piece), Tickled looks a million dollars as it pursues its David (Farrier) vs Goliath story.

With a wry sense of humour, a mix of easy and uneasy laughs, and some taut journalism, as well as a deft employment of the number 8 wire, Farrier and Reeve's respectful tone and refusal to over-sensationalise their subject matter make the journey more than worthwhile. (And also leave you with an overall feeling of unease when it's over - it would be easy to villainise the people involved, but by employing a lighter touch, the long-tail feeling is more difficult to shake).

In pursuit of their story, both are courteous in their treatment of their interviewees and appear never anything less than sane in the face of a spiralling tale that becomes a cautionary piece for our digitally obsessed age. It helps that the core subject and people they speak to all have the quirks necessary to bring it all to light.

But as the hornet's nest is prodded, the resultant provocation and overt threats bring a menace to proceedings from the shadows that is palpable (and which suggests the doco's conclusion is by no means the end of the story). Equally, the audience's belief of what the film offers changes in a subtle and clever manner as the pieces of the puzzle come together. (Perhaps the closest cinematic touch point in a round-about way is a doco from Bart Layton that stunned audiences in 2012).

There's a real sense of suspense to Tickled, (which came to fruition via Kickstarter) and if the reveals are suspected a little early on, the resultant ripples and extent of their revelations from within the rabbit hole are deftly handled as the reality of the situation and the implications of the cyber-bullying become apparent. In many ways, this is a cautionary tale of power, a warning over the wiles of the internet and the machinations of the electronic age.

The power of Tickled the movie lies in the genial and gentle nature of those instigating the doco - and its strengths are built upon by an ease of execution which makes things all the more tense. The saying that truth may be stranger than fiction is employed here, but the reality of what the duo uncover is nothing short of disturbing and horrifying.

Surprising in many ways, Farrier and Reeve have concocted an experience that subverts expectations and yet ticks and exceeds every box of the genre, by engaging you in the subject matter, hooking you in and then leaving you on the edge of your seat, with your jaw firmly around your feet.

Tickled may have you laughing at times during proceedings, but in its resolution, the underlying cautionary feeling of discomfort (and perhaps surprisingly, sadness) is one that is exceedingly hard to shake.

Rating:


Tickled releases in New Zealand cinemas on May 26th

Read a Q And A with Tickled directors David Farrier and Dylan Reeve here

 

Orphans and Kingdoms: Film Review

Orphans and Kingdoms: Film Review

Cast: Colin Moy, Calae Hignett-Morgan, Hanelle Harris, Jesse James Rehu Pickery
Director: Paolo Rotondo

Made on a micro-budget and set entirely in a house on Auckland's Waiheke Island, Shortland Street actor Paolo Rotondo's Orphans and Kingdoms is a subtly damning indictment of social services and how we're failing children.

Essentially, it's the tale of three kids running riot on the island, stealing from dairies. But when the trio breaks in to a house and the owner Jeremy (Colin Moy) comes home, their plan to lie low hits a major speed bump....

Orphans and Kingdoms achieves a lot more than its limited setting would suggest.

While there are moments that come together nicely, there are moments that feel a little strained.

Fortunately, there's a powerhouse performance from Calae Hignett-Morgan as Kenae, the firecracker of a youngster whose bravado embraces the street smarts but whose frailty of a lack of family and a bouncing between foster homes lies just beneath the surface. He's also responsible for the most shocking scene of the film which includes Jeremy and a knife.

In many ways, Rotondo's used him as a vessel to condemn the life of the youngster and the system that has failed him. The message is all the more powerful due to its subtlety.

If Kenae is the fire of the trio, Colin Moy's Jeremy is slightly hamstrung by a vein of sadness and a central mystery that's only solved in the final third act - hampered by a series of flashbacks, Jeremy feels a little underwritten and relies too heavily on the emotional weight it's supposed to be given. (Though a shot that serves as a call back to the opening sequence at the house is given a tighter emotional edge by its framing and execution).

These suffer in comparison because they feel slightly over-wrought; perhaps, less reliance on them would have rendered them more powerful. And certainly in comparison with the subtle dialogue and script shift for Kenae, Rotondo's clearly got an eye for what's required.

Potentially, the story structure of Orphans and Kingdoms and the fact it relies on contrivances while in the house to power the drama, rather than a more natural approach, slightly scupper this commendable film.

But undoubtedly when the film is lighter of touch, Orphans and Kingdoms soars. It's a reminder of what can be done on a budget, but also serves as a reminder of where strengths should be played to.